Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-12-09

mats SO, S8lQ IOm ID D W0ts-
per. His hand was in his pocket as
he spoke The next instant he drew
it out and with his beaut fu', SIX
bladed jackknife. 1t was his dearest
treasure. bought with his own cam
ings u few months before Reba
started. "Oh, Tom " she whispered,
"you don't think of giving him that."
The sacriti see Ell almost to great,
and she ad ed, "Don't you suppose
he's got knife?"
1t is''t likely he has got one like
this" said Tom, lifting his head
proudly. For moment he looked
ct his treasure in silence, then some-
thing more powerful than the pride of
ownership thrilled him, AMI leaning
rward he stuck the open knife into
the stem of the tree. The next in
slant he sprang from the wagon to
the ground Come" he whispered,
holding out his hands to Reba
But Reba stood still In her place
In the light of her brother's sacrifice
she had seen the possibility of another
generous action.
Tom" she whispered, leaning
over towards him. "I'm going to give
my mittens to that woman Her
hands were bare, and these would be
just the things for her. We can't
leave her out!"
1t was Toms turn now to be sur
prised. He knew how his sister val
ued the beautiful crimson mittens
with their long wrists and fancy
backs which had come to her all the
way from Boston at the beginning oi
winter "You know Aunt Glenn sent
'em," he said in an admonishing
whisper.
"Yes." answered Reba, "but ]
know she won't care"
She glanced rapidly over the tree
in search of fitting place tor this
final gift. and it occurred to her Gas
she told Tom afterwards), thst if she
| could draw those mittens onto the
| tips of the two foremost branches, the
! tree would look exactly as if it were
holding out its hands," 1t was while
she was giving this crowniDg effec,
to her work that. leaning q little toe
fer, she lost her balance. The whip
| ple-tree, upon which she had stepped
SWING suddenly round beneath her,
and with little cry she fell against
the side OF the wagon.
There was stir among the sleep
ers Davy's head was suddenly lift.
ed Reba saw it. but she saw nc
more, for the next instant, seiZyd by
Tom, she was being whirled away at
breathless pace.
1t was only minutes run to the
great rocks, and in deep cleft in the
farther side of one of them the two
crept as if their very lives depended
upon their coDcealment. There,
crouched among the shadows, they
listened with throbbiDg hearts to the
sounds which proceeded from the
wagon
There had been at first noise oi
noise of scrambling and shout ad
dressed apparently to the mules.
Then there came q cry of surprise
and now sudden expressive still.
ness. 1t was easy to guess that
Davy at least had made the discov.
cry which should have been reserved
for daylight, and that he was now
standing in wonder before the trans.
figured tree. But the wonder soon
became vocal. The sound of voices
in excited conversation reached the
rock, with now and then burst of
mingled laughter and sobbing, and
once exclamation which made Tom
clutch Reba and whisper, Hes got
hold of that knife!"
IT was time of intense suspense
to these two. Every moment they
expected to hear approaching steps
and see peering eyes look in upon
them in their hiding place. But,
strange to say it was some time be-
fore it occurred to the occupants of
the wagon to make any search for the
perpetrators of the deed which had 80
amazed them.
At length however it must have
occurred to one of them that beyond
the rocks, upon the open plain, some
glimpse might be had which would
furnish clue to the mystery, for fol.
lowed by his mother Davy came eag-
erly running to the nearest point OF
outlook.
They passed within few yards OF
Tom and Rebn's hiding place. But
they were unacquainted with the
rocks and their wonder-flled eyes did
not search the shadows of the rugged
sides Their gaze swept the country
in oil directions. but they caught no
glimpse Of flying horseman: moth
ing moved in sight except the cloud
shadows drifting across the level
fields.
"Well,n Tom and Reba heard
Davy say at length, "it's the queer
est thing | ever saw, this is. Some
thing walked me up, l couldn't just
tell what, and then l heard noise of
running. | thought the mules bad
broke loose and | shouted to 'em, but
when | looked out there they were,
just as we LETT 'em, and nobody in
sight now here"
"Davy," they heard his mother
nswer-she was standing near him.
bareheaded in the moonlight, with
her dark streaming loose upon her
shoulders-"Davy, pears like you
must have heard Santa Claus himself
Citing away with those reindeers
they used to tell about when | was
girl" She dropped her head when
she had spoken. and smiled foolish
lissle smile, but it somehow touched
her worn face with look of youth
and made 1t almost fair.
Davy shook his head sturdily.
There had been no illusions around
his childhood. The light from the
Kilburn farmhouse seemed TO catch
his eye at that moment, for stretch
Ing out his hand towards il, he ex-
claimed: Mother, low those folks
over there had something to do with
it," Then having no argument with
which to sustain this view, he, too,
dropped his head and smiled foolish
ly. But they heard him add as be
turned away, Anyhow, they're
mighty kind folks, and | mean they
shall the very best tree on Elk Noun